In a study done by the Jackson Police Department of Jackson, Tennessee, they found that certain crimes are most likely to occur according to the season of the year. There are many factors to consider as to why a certain crime is most likely at any one time of the year.

It seems that shorter days and cooler weather we find fewer assaults and car thefts. The closer you get to the Christmas Holidays, the more likely stores find higher shoplifting and identity theft.

Here’s a breakdown of incidents they found in their community:

Fall seemed to have more vandalism than in February Winter showed the lowestnumber of burglaries as compared to July. Spring had a rise in simple assaults whereas May and December were much lower.
As you might expect, Summer had the highest of violent crimes, murders and rapes.

You will notice that the frequency of crimes has a lot to do with the weather. People are more active in hot weather and less social in colder temperatures. Some increases can be attributed to juveniles out of school with more time on their hands. The dark hours of winter makes it easier for burglaries because it affords more cover the burglar more confidence he will gwt away with it.

What this article showed me was that we need to always be aware of our surroundings no matter what time of year. Summer months we tend to not lock windows and doors which allows more crime of opportunity. Winter months we’re so wrapped up to keep warm that we tend to not see around us. Spring brings a euphoria that we tend to be more trusting of people and may let our guard down. Fall brings us Halloween and more vandalism.

Your best thing a person can do to avoid being a target is to always be alert. Remember, most crimes are crimes of opportunity. People are too often preoccupied and not paying attention to their surroundings.

Report suspicious activity even if it’s not your home. You will be protecting yourself in the long run.